1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a traffic information display method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a traffic information display method and apparatus wherein traffic information is displayed at user selectable levels.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a steady growth of automobiles being driven on highways has caused serious traffic congestion and an increase in traffic accidents. As a result, there have been various schemes developed to provide drivers with real time traffic information regarding road traffic conditions, accidents and the like.
In providing real time traffic information, the traffic information may be announced by traffic reporters during delivery of FM broadcasting services, transmitted through some parts of FM data channels for FM broadcasting services, provided as a type of added service of mobile communication companies, and provided using a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) service.
In the DMB service, real-time traffic information is provided as Transport Protocol Experts Group (TPEG) data coded in a format defined by TPEG protocols, which are new standards for delivering traffic and travel information. That is, TPEG data containing real-time traffic information is inserted into a data area of DMB data, and the DMB data is broadcast. Hence, the real-time traffic information can be provided to many unspecified DMB users.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional procedure to display traffic information using a mobile communication terminal. Traffic information is displayed in order from FIG. 1a to FIG. 1d. The user must pass through multiple levels to determine the travel speed at a desired section of a road. For example, to determine the travel speed on unit road-sections between ABC Interchange and XYZ Tollgate along the QRS Expressway, the user must pass through multiple levels as shown in FIGS. 1a to 1d. This occurs because, in such a conventional traffic information display method, travel speed information is displayed only at the lowest level corresponding to unit road-sections. Hence, the user must move down to the lowest level corresponding to unit road-sections of the desired road, thereby causing user inconvenience.